This has me thinking that we all have changes that happen and we all find ways to adjust and re-align our life.  This happens constantly in education.  Changes.  New curriculum, new staff, new students, snow days, sick days, new years, new technologies.  The list could go on and on.  How we deal with it is what makes the difference.  We can try and keep things the same or we can try and adapt and work with the circumstances we are given.  In today’s world, technology is making a place and this is changing education.   The focus is not technology, the focus is on how to reach our digital learners.  I posted recently at my Lutheran Tech Teacher blog a little more about this after attending the LEA convocation.  Feel free to check it out.  Because so much is changing, it is hard to keep up with everything.  Find one thing you can try.  Learn it well, use it well and add more as you go.  Make little changes that you feel comfortable with and you may surprise yourself!   Happy Learning!

Microsoft introduced their newest addition to the Power Point program, “Microsoft Mouse Mischief.”  I saw someone mention it on twitter and had to check it out.

You do have to download the software, which is for PPT 10 and 07.   But after that it is as easy as creating any other PPT slide.  When you run your Mouse Enhanced presentation, you will have to go through a little exercise to get the mice all synced up.

So what does it do?

Mouse Mischief becomes a student response system with the use of a mouse.  When I tested I used my laptop track pad and a USB plugged in mouse.  It worked perfectly after I realize I had to have information on the slide.  What happens during the initialization slides, the program finds which of the mice is the teachers mouse and each child checks in with their mouse.  You can decide to have activities as a team or individually. Students can know which mouse is theirs by different characters that show above their pointer.  To work in a classroom you would need wireless mice and a USB hub to support.

But, it is FREE!  That is the best part.  It is engaging, it works, and it is free.  Educators can once again use PowerPoint without getting yelled at from Ed Tech Leaders.

What else is great from Microsoft?  To show support for this product they were having a contest on twitter to help spread the word.  Each week they picked one twitter user that retweeted their message.  I actually won!  I am now waiting for my free wireless mice and USB hub… THANKS MICROSOFT!

For more information about Mouse Mischief: http://www.microsoft.com/multipoint/mouse-mischief/default.aspx

So, as the title of my post states- “Are we getting anywhere?”  In teaching?  Well, are we?  I would say yes when it comes to the technologies that are available.  We have so much at our fingertips, literally!  But are we using the technologies to get anywhere?  I sometimes struggle with this.  There are so many websites, devices, software and hardware choices to choose from that it is hard to know what can be of the most benefit to our students.

There are new things to learn, new technologies to try, and students who crave the interaction with these technologies.  They crave engaging learning and interactions.

“It takes time to learn new technologies”

“I have enough to worry about”

“I don’t think I would use it”

So, I ask again- Are we getting anywhere?

Integrating technology isn’t about using technology to teach.  It’s about engaging our students.  It’s about changing something in the way we teach.  Instead of reading about the people in Russia, we can  talk to them via Skype.  Why not engage the students in fractions via You Tube.  It means taking our teaching to the next level.

Does this require some work?  Yes!  When we decided we would be educators, we committed ourselves to life long learning.  And if you didn’t, well…maybe you should take a second look at what you are doing with your life! It is part of the calling of being in education.  There’s learning involved.  What I am writing is probably not a shock to anyone.  However, there aren’t too many who may say it out loud.

Looking back a the photo above, I can tell you that both phones will get us in touch with the people we try to contact.  The old ways of engaging students versus the new ways of technology- both ways will get the information across.   Are we getting anywhere?  Yes, slowly.  However, how we get to where we are going is up to us!

So, what is your passion?  What do you most want your students to learn?  How does this all fit together?  Do you ask yourself this often?  If not, start.  Our students are not the same as they once were.  The way we educate our students is and should be changing.  I would venture to say that we will see more 1:1 classrooms in the next 10 years if not sooner.  Technology is shifting education.

Now where does that leave you?  Are you willing to shift your teaching?  Are you willing to learn?  Are you willing to teach the students in new ways?

Hmmm……

Something to ponder if you aren’t already.

Are you looking for a fun way to teach scientific method? Want a way to engage your students? You need to try Science Pirates here is a quick break down of the game

Science Pirates: The Curse of Brownbeard allows game players to explore an island, observing pirates poor handwashing behavior, and come to understand why pirates believe they are cursed with a “sickness of the bowels”. The end game activity allows players to design and conduct an experiment to test the best handwashing method, interpret the results, and make recommendations to the good captain. While exploring the island in search of three map pieces to Captain Brownbeard’s hideout, the game player engages in hypothesis design in the Super Tiki Monkey Temple; explores and identifies the differences between independent variables, dependent variables, and constants; and reduces experimentation to one variable at a time in the Powder Monkey. In addition, vocabulary and basic scientific content is presented in engaging ways.

I went through this game with my third grade class. I did all the moving of the character and my hyperactive boys were still very engaged. There are some songs that can be accessed by Youtube and iTunes. The game was fun even for a teacher. What I would do after going through the game, talk about what the students thought and what they liked (I am sure they will like shooting the sea monsters). You do need to make sure students read everything and to pay attention so they can actually learn.

Check it out and tell me what you think. If you want to add follow up questions you would ask, please add them. I added this as part of our school’s computer curriculum for the 4th and 5th grade. Have fun being a PIRATE!

This system needs to change. The context, behavior, culture, leadership, and passion needs to change. The most important aspect to change schools is having the right leader. The leader has the job to get people to see and feel the change. The leader needs to change the conditions of the schools to raise them up and have good teachers want to stay there.

Martin Luther once said,

“Let the wife make her husband glad to come home and let him make her sorry to see him leave.”

We can change it to ,”Let the administrator make the teacher glad to come to school and let the teacher make the administrator sad to see them leave.” Ok, the connection isn’t really the greatest. But, if the school is engaging for the student and the teacher, neither will want to leave. When the teacher has passion, a purpose, and enjoys what they are doing, the student engagement will increase which is what we want, better students, students that are eager to learn and take responsibility into their own learning.

If your an administrator what are you doing to keep your good teachers? If your a teacher what are you doing to engage your students? If your a student what are you doing to take control of your own learning? If your a parent or pay taxes what are you doing to make sure your money is going to the students education and engaging them to become better citizens?

Photo: http://flickr.com/photos/judybaxter/310417937/